Nasdaq to Launch 23-Hour Trading December 6, 2026

Nasdaq will launch an overnight trading session on December 6, 2026, extending its U.S. equity market to 23 hours a day, five days a week. The move, which aims to broaden investor access and compete with round-the-clock cryptocurrency markets, comes after the Securities and Exchange Commission approved the rule change in April.

The new session will run from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. Eastern Time, complementing Nasdaq's existing 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET trading window. This creates a continuous market from Sunday evening until Friday evening, with a one-hour pause each weekday between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. for processing and the transition to the next trade date. The regular U.S. session between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET will continue to set prices through Nasdaq's Opening and Closing Crosses.

Nasdaq President Tal Cohen has framed the expansion as a way to "broaden investor access and expand wealthbuilding opportunities." The exchange is responding to growing demand from investors outside U.S. time zones and seeking to capture a share of trading that has moved to platforms offering 24/7 access. Foreign holdings of U.S. equities reached $17 trillion by mid-2024, up 97% since 2019, and Nasdaq aims to...